62 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[February, 



logue prices, would have realized me $375.00, 

 whereas they really brought me in $54.00, giving 

 the florist a margin of $j2i.oo, as his part of the 

 profits. Of course I do not expect or wish to 

 reap all, but if I could have even got half 1 

 would have remained quiescent and still continued 

 to try to supply florists alone with them. 



What I wish is this, to ascertain price to insert 

 an attractive advertisement for two, three, or four 

 months — whichever you advise — and see if I 

 cannot realize the profits myself. I have thous- 

 ands of Narcissus, which I see by my flori- 

 cultural papers is the future's favorite, to dispose 

 of. I am in correspondence with several florists 

 for them, but because the bulbs are larger and finer 

 than those they import, they mistrust the plant 

 altogether. One of the Narcissus, advertised un- 

 der various names— Daffodill, Hoop Petticoat, Sul- 

 phur Trumpet, and we here call them Butter- 

 cups, Candlesticks, Cups and Saucers, Shepherd's 

 Pipe &c. — I think is the Narcissus advertised as 

 Bulbocodium at 25 cents per bulb, but cannot be 

 certain until some sent me from the North bloom, 

 and I can compare them. You cannot realize that 

 here in the South we border our vegetable beds 

 with them, to keep them in shape ; and when once 

 planted they go on increasing until they encroach 

 to such an extent that we have to plough them up 

 as a nuisance. Of course then you will not won- 

 der at my having 10,000 bulbs to sell, and desir- 

 ing to realize a handsome profit on them and not 

 allow myself only a beggar's portion. Could you 

 kindly give me any idea of my best plan to throw 

 these on the market, and at what time ? I feel I 

 am almost inexcusable for thus transgressing your 

 time, but my excuse is above; knowing by the 

 reputation you have gained, that you are willing to 

 help the struggling, and those anxious to help 

 themselves." 



It is a natural mistake by those unacquainted 

 with the nurseryman or seedsman's business, that 

 $221.00 represents the part of the profits in a 

 purchase of $375.00. If he were engaged in this 

 business wholly, and took with one hand $54.00 

 worth, and received directly $375.00 with the 

 other, it would not be correct; as he would proba- 

 bly have had to take a great deal of trouble and 

 cost to find the customers for the article. But the 

 receipts from the bulbs have to go into the gen- 

 eral fund, and against this fund a large number of 

 expenses have to be charged. We know one 

 large firm that spends in advertising, or has spent 

 in one year for advertising, $100,000. This of 

 course includes catalogues, cuts, label printing. 



and such like. There are store rents, wages, 

 commissions to other dealers, bad debts, and 

 numerous other items which run into the expense 

 account, besides the firm's own many years of ex- 

 perience and time to be paid for ; and besides all 

 this, he deals in a perishable article, which if not 

 sold has to be thrown on the rubbish pile, though 

 bought and paid for. The writer of this well re- 

 members seeing a letter written by one friend to 

 another who had been always buying bulbs ; it 

 was in 1859: "We are not buying bulbs this 

 year, we want bullets ;" and over $1,000 of Dutch 

 bulbs were thrown on the manure heap, from 

 similar failures to sell that season. It is not al- 

 ways that war prevents sale, but some other acci- 

 dent is continually arising. We very much doubt 

 whether at the prices named by our correspondent 

 the buyer would make more than fifteen per cent. 

 on his purchase ; which is just about what our 

 correspondent made. 



We do not think she would do any better, or 

 even so well, by advertising directly for retail 

 customers in the advertising columns of the Gar- 

 deners' Monthly. Advertising is a great art, 

 understood only by those well in business. The 

 hap-hazard advertiser seldom makes it pay. 



The best course for our correspondent is to 

 continue in correspondence with leading firms, 

 who may possibly need what she can supply, and 

 she need only offer to supply those things which 

 she can get easily, and thus afford to sell at the 

 price that competitors for her products are willing 

 to pay. In this way she will find out those who 

 want them worst, and those who want them worst 

 will be willing to pay the most. This is the un- 

 derlying principle in all successful business. 



Diseases of Plants. — Prof. J. C. Arthur, who 

 has made a specialty of the study of the diseases of 

 plants, and who has charge of the New York Ex- 

 perimental Station, at Geneva, New York, kindly 

 writes to say that if any correspondent o{ the Gar- 

 deners' Mo.NTHLY will send him specimens of 

 i diseased plants, he will respond with pleasure in 

 the Gardeners' Monthly so far as he may be 

 able to do so. 



Mr. a. N. Curtis, of Sharon, Pa. : " Horti- 

 culture loses one of its most liberal and enthusias- 

 tic patrons, and Sharon, one of its best citizens, in 

 the death of Mr. Alfred Curtis, which occurred at 

 his home, in this city, on December 28th last. 



" Sharon owes much to him for the prestige she 

 enjoyed, as being the leading town in Western 

 Pennsylvania in floriculture. Kind and generous 



